Jackson lawyers paint AEG as ruthless, greedy

CaptionJackson trial verdict

Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times

Michael Jackson fans from left, Karlene Taylor, Yvonne Francis, Latrenda White and Jamie Lee, speak out against AEG Live. A jury found Wednesday that AEG Live was not liable in the death of the pop superstar.

Michael Jackson fans from left, Karlene Taylor, Yvonne Francis, Latrenda White and Jamie Lee, speak out against AEG Live. A jury found Wednesday that AEG Live was not liable in the death of the pop superstar. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Jury foreman Gregg Barden, center, listens to a reporter's question about their verdict in the civil trial over the wrongful-death lawsuit filed by Katherine Jackson and three grandchildren against AEG Live in the death of singer Michael Jackson.

Jury foreman Gregg Barden, center, listens to a reporter's question about their verdict in the civil trial over the wrongful-death lawsuit filed by Katherine Jackson and three grandchildren against AEG Live in the death of singer Michael Jackson. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

The attorney for Michael Jackson’s family painted entertainment powerhouse Anschutz Entertainment Group as a gang of ruthless executives concerned only with becoming No. 1 in the concert business and caring nothing about the singer's well-being.

Attorney Brian Panish began his opening statement Monday in the Jackson-AEG suit by talking about Jackson’s addiction to prescription drugs.

He also mentioned Dr. Conrad Murray, the debt-ridden doctor who administered the fatal dose of propofol to Jackson and was later convicted of involuntary manslaughter.

The attorney said the company wanted to exploit Jackson to catch up to their competitor in the concert business, Live Nation, at all costs.

“You don’t do that with white gloves,” Panish said. “You do what you gotta do if you want to be No. 1 in this rough business of concert promotions.”

The wrongful-death suit against AEG was filed by the singer’s mother, Katherine -- who was in the courtroom Monday along with Michael Jackson’s siblings Rebbie and Randy -- and his three children. Jackson died on the eve of what was to be a comeback series of concerts in 2009.

The suit accuses AEG of pushing Jackson beyond his limits and being responsible for hiring and controlling Murray.

“There were no rules,” Panish told the jury, when it came to furthering AEG’s success. “It didn’t matter what it took. … AEG had a problem and they wanted to fix it and they didn’t care who got lost in the wash.”

Using slides and photos, Panish quoted from emails among AEG executives that surfaced last year as evidence of the attitude. In one, AEG Live President and CEO Randy Phillips described screaming at Jackson, whom he called an “emotionally paralyzed mess,” before a news conference.

Murray’s involvement only created a downward spiral for Jackson because the doctor’s “financial condition made him susceptible to pressure and created a conflict between his patient’ needs and AEG’s needs,” Panish said.